Star-Ledger beat writers discuss Giants Super Bowl winThe Star-Ledger's Mike Garafolo, Steve Politi and Jorge Castillo report from the field at Lucas Oil Stadium hours after the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl - again. (Star-Ledger video by Adya Beasley and Andrew Mills)

INDIANAPOLIS — John Mara stood on the sideline, confetti strewn around his feet as he waited for a live television shot to begin. The fans nearby in the front rows of Lucas Oil Stadium were chanting, “Déjà Blue! Déjà Blue!”

The Giants co-owner had experienced this all before, everything up to the Hail Mary pass from Tom Brady that stole Mara’s breath because it looked for a moment like it might be completed.

Yet somehow, it all seemed unbelievable.

“Did we just win the Super Bowl?” Mara said tonight with a laugh and a head shake.

They most certainly did, 21-17, over the New England Patriots. A familiar foe. Defeated in familiar fashion.

Eli Manning, as himself, led another winning touchdown drive, an 88-yarder that began with 3:46 remaining. Mario Manningham was David Tyree, sparking the drive with an incredible 38-yard, toe-tapping catch up the left sideline on a perfect throw from Manning. Ahmad Bradshaw was Plaxico Burress, scoring the decisive points — though this one wasn’t nearly as stylish. Bradshaw’s 6-yarder ended with him falling backward into the end zone with 57 seconds left, unable to stop at the 1-yard line as he’d been instructed.

Justin Tuck played the role of Jay Alford with a sack of Brady on the Pats’ final desperation drive. And Kenny Phillips was this year’s Corey Webster, tipping away that pass from Brady to Aaron Hernandez in the end zone, ending the game, igniting the celebration and allowing Mara to finally believe.

“To get one Super Bowl win in the manner we got it four years ago usually lasts a whole career,” Mara said. “But to get two of these is just beyond description.”

Mara was happy for everyone, but most of all for his coach Tom Coughlin, whom he hoped will “finally be appreciated the way he should be appreciated.”

“This is the finish line for this year,” Coughlin said in reference to the team mantra that began in training camp. “Yes it is!”

Upon crossing that line, Jason Pierre-Paul dropped to a knee, lowered his head and prayed. Rookie Jacquian Williams took a seat on the goal line and leaned back on his hands, trying to figure out if it was a dream.

Chase Blackburn, almost a substitute teacher in November and a key to this victory with an interception of Brady 49 yards down the field, did a few interviews near Manning’s new Corvette (for being named MVP after completing 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown to Victor Cruz) before he had to put his kids to bed.

Tyree gave a big hug to Cruz and spoke about Manningham’s catch, saying, “You’ve gotta have a playmaker down the stretch.” Zak DeOssie, realizing he’d just eclipsed his father in Super Bowl titles, yelled out, “That’s my second! Now where’s my old man?!” And rapper Flavor Flav, known for wearing a big clock around his neck, was asked what time it was and replied, “Time to get this parade started!”

Meanwhile, it was much less festive outside of the Patriots’ locker room. The loudest sound was the hum of the florescent lights, as Giselle Bundchen told Vince Wilfork’s wife, Bianca, she couldn’t take that ending, and Mrs. Wilfork replied, “It’s worse for you. … It’s not fair.”

It didn’t seem fair to some a team that was, as Mara put it, “just trying to survive at 7-7” could become the first Super Bowl champion with fewer than 10 regular-season victories. But that’s how it works in today’s NFL, and the Giants rode momentum to a season-ending six-game winning streak — and another Lombardi Trophy.

“New York vs. Boston, are you kidding me? For all the gold?” Brandon Jacobs said. “And we came up with it again.”

Said team chairman Steve Tisch: “I thought four years ago was exciting. That was a dress rehearsal.”

Just like that game, this one began with solid defense from the Giants. Tuck helped open the scoring by force ing Brady to throw a ball deep down the middle of the field to nobody. It was ruled intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety.

Cruz then capped an incredible story of this season with a 2-yard touchdown on a quick slant just past Pats linebacker Jerod Mayo. That came shortly after Cruz fumbled, only to be saved by a penalty on the Pats for too many men on the field.

“I had to bobble that a little bit,” Cruz said. “But once I got it, I snagged it and then it was salsa time, baby!”

Pretty soon, the Patriots began dancing through the Giants’ secondary. Brady, in the midst of a Super Bowl-record 16 straight completions, led touchdown drives of 96 and 79 yards on either side of halftime. Added to a field goal earlier, it gave New England a 17-9 lead less than 4 minutes into the second half.

“We got out of doing what we do. We started trying to make too many plays,” Giants safety Deon Grant said, adding: “I told the guys at halftime, ‘Muhammad Ali got hit. You’re going to get hit in a fight. He’s still the champ, still the greatest ever.’ ”

The Giants are champs again because of 12 unanswered points, starting with two field goals by Lawrence Tynes. The defense was simultaneously clamping down, with Blackburn recording his interception on a deep ball to Gronkowski two plays into the fourth quarter. In fact, the Patriots were held scoreless for the final 26-plus minutes of the game.

Finally, it once again came down to Manning leading a winning drive.

It began with the strike to Manningham up the left sideline past rookie corner Sterling Moore. (The Patriots challenged the call, but the great catch was confirmed.) Then, a 16-yarder to Manningham in front of Moore, a quick slant to Hakeem Nicks into a blitz, Bradshaw for 7 yards and Nicks on a “now” route at the line for a first down at the 7-yard line with 1:09 to play.

When Bradshaw then split the defense two plays later, he tried to stop.